Backbeat tells the story of the Beatles' pre-fame Hamburg days, focusing on Stuart Sutcliffe, the band's magnetically sexy original bassist, and his relationships with John Lennon and the beautiful and exotic German photographer Astrid Kirchherr. It's a great premise, and director and co-writer Iain Softley tells the tale with all the smart dramatic pacing, period detail and musical verve you might hope for. But, perhaps more surprisingly, he also creates a complex and emotionally sophisticated portrayal of love, friendship and attraction.